I had a question about the specifics of finding a raw material deposit when prospecting squares with no already-known deposits. Are the locations of deposits pre-determined when the planet was created (or at some other specific time), or is a new deposit created when a scan is performed based on the probability given in the rules?

For example, lets say that from the equation given in the mining rules, I have a 20% chance of finding a deposit on a given scan of a square with no current known deposit. I then prospect that square. Which of the following scenarios is then true:

1. The database is checked to see if a deposit is there (one yet to be found). If a true comes back, there is then a 20% chance of finding it. If a false comes back, there is a 0% chance of finding it.

2. No such database exists. There is a 20% chance that a deposit is found, and if successful a new deposit appears.

If the latter is true, it seems that I could find a deposit on any square with a non-zero terrain probability if I just scan for long enough. (In the above example, I would have a 96% probability of finding something in the first 15 scans.)

In the rules it says "only 1 deposit can be found on a square at any given time," which makes me think that (2) is correct.

I was unaware of a percentage chance of locating. I believed the terrain with a deposit is given a certain number. If the number you have based on number of scanners and you're comp ops skill is higher then you find the deposit, if not you don't and won't until you make that number higher then the terrains.